Russell Smith

Russell Smith still gets recognised for his portrayal of milk-obsessed vampire Count Homogenized. Smith first played the affro-haired vamp on late 1970s series A Haunting We Will Go, before starring in spin-off show It is I, Count Homogenized. Smith's screen career is a study in adaptability. After early work in children's television — including co-hosting Play School — he joined the cast of pioneering show A Week of It, one of many comedy roles. In the late 80s he played a hard-bitten detective in Wellington cop show Shark in the Park. Smith has also directed on childrens shows Bumble and Mel's Amazing Movies.

People either loved it or hated it. And it didn’t seem to matter which, they still recognised you. It was one of those programmes which created a response. It doesn’t happen a lot with television. Russell Smith on playing Count Homogenized, in a 1991 Listener interview